Published: Tuesday, 4th November, 2008 12:30
Fracture
By Narin Bahar
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(XBox 360 and PS3)
Set in the mid-2100s when the world is heading towards ecological armageddon, Fracture sees the US having literally been split in half by a polar ice cap melting. The east side, the Atlantic Alliance, relies on technology to survive, while the western Republic of Pacifica decides that genetic modification of its population is more important to survive this calamitous time.
When the Pacificans begin increasing their military capabilities, the Alliance respond with air strikes, kick starting a conflict the consequences of which are going to reverberate across the world - and the life of supersoldier Jet Brody (yes, he sounds like a character from a Mills and Boon novel, and is as cliche laden as you'd imagine).
While this all sounds fairly samey to the usual fare, there is a whole new kind of weaponry to get your head around which makes Fracture stick
in the mind where other games have not. Jet's arsenal terraforms the area around him - allowing him not only to destroy the land should he want to, but also to transform it to bring himself a strategic advantage, either by lowering the ground of his enemies or effectively building bunkers to shielf himself from their fire.
The shifting terrain lifts this up from the usual first person shooter, and the storyline is interesting enough. If you're a fan of the genre then this is a worthy addition to your shelf, although by the time of Gears of War comes out later in the month you'll be happy to cast this aside for the next challenge.
Still enough to recommend it though.
A healthy four stars.
* Fracture is out now on the X-Box 360 and the PS3.
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